Close Encounter on Kachina Peak

 This isn't a full trip report, just a few photos from a remarkable encounter yesterday on Kachina Peak.

This young Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep quietly snuck up on us. I didn't even notice him until he was less than 100 feet away. Luckily, my dog Loki (the Magnificent) didn't spot him right away. When he finally did, he charged toward the sheep, and I had to call him back.

I've trained Loki to do two things whenever he sees wildlife: 1) stay quiet, and 2) stay with me. Otherwise, I'd probably never get to enjoy any wildlife encounters on my hikes.

What made yesterday so unusual was how willing this bighorn was to approach us (that's probably why rule number two didn't quite work as intended). Other than reindeer, which are famously curious, I've never had a wild animal come this close.

Even more remarkable, once Loki returned to my side, it took only a couple of minutes for the sheep to wander back and "visit" us again. Whenever he got a little too close, Loki would politely (he never barked at him) shoo him away, but a few minutes later he'd come right back. This little routine repeated itself four times!

Eventually, he settled down near the highest Gazex exploder below the upper Kachina lift station and calmly watched us continue to the summit.

It was one of those rare moments of mountain magic that only the mountain can offer. I've shared photos of mountain wildlife before, but this encounter was truly special. Here are the pictures from yesterday.

First encounter: by the time I got the camera out, he bolted but this gives you an idea of how
close he was willing to get...

...he did not run off too far though...

...then curiosity got the best of him...

...you can see the curiosity in his attitude and face.

He is quite the splendid animal.

...till we meet again!

Mount Massive, 14,427 (4397 m)

Yesterday I summited Mount Massive (14,421 ft), Colorado's second-highest peak, with Tom and Fred - both fellow Taoseños. We hit the trail at 7:30 a.m. via the East Slopes route.

This is officially considered the "easiest" route, but that's only true if by easy you mean you never encounter really steep terrain. In fact, the trail is so gentle for the first hour that it almost feels like you're walking downhill. Of course, what you save in steepness, you pay back in mileage. This route is nearly 14 miles round trip compared to about 8 miles on the steeper Southwest Slopes. So, pick your poison. Personally, I'm still not sure which route I'd call easier!

Whatever the route, yesterday was one of those magical mountain days when every star aligned. Cool morning temperatures, deep blue skies, and absolutely no wind. What more could you ask for? Maybe slightly cooler temperatures on the hike down - but that might be getting greedy.

And none of those conditions should be taken for granted. Tonight's NOAA forecast for 14,199 feet calls for snow showers, patchy smoke, and even a chance of thunderstorms. We missed all of that thanks to Tom's excellent planning and his knack for picking the perfect weather window.

From the Mount Massive trailhead, about 20 minutes outside Leadville, the hike begins in dense forest and keeps you there for an hour and a half or so before finally opening up above treeline. You follow the Colorado Trail northeast for roughly a mile before it turns northwest for another couple of miles. Along the way you cross South Willow Creek and then Willow Creek, where you leave the Colorado Trail and continue on the Mount Massive Trail.

Even then, you're not quite out of the woods. There's still nearly another mile before you finally break above tree line. But once you do, the scenery starts rewarding you long before you reach the summit.

The alpine tundra was simply spectacular. Wildflowers were in full bloom, painting the landscape with nearly every color imaginable, including some stunning electric-blue blossoms that seemed to glow against the green. The mosses carpeting both the soil and the rocks added subtle shades of green, gold, and brown that completed the picture. Altogether, it reminded me remarkably of the tundra landscapes of Lapland in Arctic Scandinavia.

As if that weren't enough, the panoramic views across the Sawatch Range just kept getting better with every step. You spend a wonderfully long time hiking through this alpine paradise before finally reaching the rocky summit ridge. From there it's about 20 to 30 minutes of enjoyable Class 2 scrambling over solid rock to the top.

Our ascent took 4 hours and 19 minutes. After soaking in the views, and taking the obligatory summit photos, we headed back down, reaching the car 3 hours and 37 minutes later.

Another Colorado fourteener in the books, and one that reminded me why some of the "easier" peaks can still make you earn every single step.

On the summit: Tom, Fred, and Loki.

North Halfmoon lakes as seen from the summit.

These expansive views of the Sawatch range include Twin Lakes.

Another view of the Halfmoon lakes from a bit further down on the summit ridge.

Fred and Tom embarking on the long slog down.

"Infinite" views including Turquoise lake.

Loki the Magnificient taking it all in...